


Going Round in Circles

by TCRegan



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 13:49:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3292688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TCRegan/pseuds/TCRegan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>20 drabbles detailing Anders' adventures in the Circle.</p>
<p>Author's Note: Anders is fourteen when he and (a much older/late 20s) Karl begin a relationship. Relationship is consensual but warning in case this is not your cup of tea. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going Round in Circles

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm really just dusting off a lot of my old fics in an attempt to reorganize my documents folders across two computers and several flash drives when I found these. Hope you enjoy.

He'd been scared at first, ripped from his parents, transferred in a caravan with several others. He clutched his bag, never wanting it out of his sight again since that templar pawed through it. The caravan bumped to a halt.

"All right you lot," said the gruff voice of the knight-captain. "Out you get, and no funny business."

He stumbled out, his broken leather shoes providing no comfort on the cold, rocky ground. The chill wind grabbed at his threadbare clothing and his teeth chattered. He looked up: across Lake Calenhad there it was, looking so ominous.

His new home.

-

The tower was dark and drafty and he hated every second he was made to stay there. The introduction ceremony was dull and put him instantly to sleep. The apprentice quarters were spacious but there was no privacy to be found. The communal baths and shared mealtimes irritated him. He wanted to go home to his own room, to his own bed.

What he did like was performing spells. Though he preferred not to be watched like some kind of criminal as he cast, learning how to amplify his power and discover new spells was exhilarating.

Nevertheless, he missed home.

-

He'd made friends with a boy called Jowan. Never before had he experienced someone so paranoid and nervous. Jowan's favorite way to start a sentence was, "What if…" He hadn't meant to snap. Maker knew friends were hard to come by.

"Please stop crying." He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

Jowan sniffed. "You're so mean."

"I'm sorry." He wasn't. "Look, could you just…"

He grabbed Jowan by the front of the robes and kissed him hard, teeth clashing against Jowan's as his friend gasped in surprise. He pulled back.

"Oh good," he said, relieved. "You stopped."

Jowan just stared.

-

Jowan followed him around like a puppy after that. In the weeks that followed, there were many more kisses in the dark alcoves. He saw older boys in his village chase girls but it never interested him. In truth, neither did Jowan.

One night, they stole away to the storeroom. He pulled Jowan into the corner on top of the spare linens and kissed him hard. They kissed for a while until he reached down, hand between Jowan's legs. Jowan squealed in surprise and pulled back.

Wide-eyed, Jowan ran from the room. They didn't speak much in the weeks following.

-

"No, that's not right, Anders."

He knew it wasn't right. A year passed, and while he was still an apprentice, he knew the basics. He also knew that his favorite enchanter would always be ready to help. Karl was older, maybe late twenties. His dark brown hair and beard were already turning grey. Anders felt it made him more attractive.

Karl moved behind him, repositioning his fingers on the practice staff, changing his grip and stance. Anders closed his eyes, imagining Karl leaning down, kissing his neck, grinding against him.

"Got it now?"

"I think so."

"Try again."

Anders smirked.

-

The fantasy of Karl's mouth and hands on him wasn't enough to keep him happy. During a routine trip outside the tower with the templar recruit, he made his move. He was assigned to a particularly nervous one named Cullen. He seemed to be a strict rule follower. Unlucky for him, Anders was a strict rule breaker.

"You have one hour," Cullen said.

Anders stripped to his smallclothes and dove into the lake with the others. The only difference was while they stayed near the dock, he started to swim to the opposite shore, ignoring Cullen's yelling.

Freedom was his!

-

By his second year in the tower, his fourteenth birthday approaching, Anders had made five unsuccessful escape attempts. Reluctantly he stopped, not wanting to become too predictable. Nearly six months passed without him trying. He thought he was going crazy.

"Anders."

Anders looked up. "Enchanter."

Karl smiled. "We're not in class. Your birthday's next week, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Come. I have a present for you."

Interest piqued, Anders followed him upstairs into the mage quarters. Karl pulled out a box with airholes from under his bed, and opened the lid.

"Happy Birthday."

Inside, there was a tiny orange tabby kitten.

-

The other apprentices were jealous, but Anders didn't care. Mr. Wiggums went everywhere with him, curled on his head or shoulders except when the kitten had to hunt. Anders knew the cat was a bribe to keep him in the tower, and it worked. For a little while at least. He still daydreamed, staring out the window, telling Mr. Wiggums about all the places they'd see.

"It's not all bad in the tower," Karl said, overhearing. He had brought Anders a cup of hot cocoa and some catnip for Mr. Wiggums.

"It's a prison."

Karl sighed, but did not argue.

-

Every Friday, Karl brought him a snack and sat with him at the top of an unused stairwell. Anders talked about his village as he shared his sandwich with Mr. Wiggums. The initial attraction he felt toward Karl was purely physical. With each week that passed, the young apprentice fell faster and harder for his mentor than he'd ever thought possible.

"It gets easier," Karl promised, tucking a lock of golden hair behind Anders' ear. "You'll see. Besides, you'll always have me to talk to."

Anders turned, hand on Karl's thigh for leverage, and pushed himself up, kissing him hard.

-

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm your teacher."

"Not technically. Wynne's tutoring me."

"Semantics."

"Please!"

Karl stopped, Anders bumping into him from behind. Karl turned. Anders, tall for his age, was only half a head shorter. He leaned up on tiptoe, trying for a kiss.

"Anders!"

"I'm sorry." He wasn't. He hid a smile as Karl sighed.

"It's… okay. Perhaps I gave you the wrong impression. I want to be a friend."

"Oh." While he'd been trying to work Karl's guilt, the pain of rejection he felt wasn't an act. "I'll go then."

He ignored Karl's calls, running off in the opposite direction.

-

He found Anders throwing fireballs along the lake, watching them skip until they fizzled out and disappeared. With a sigh, he settled down next to him, gently touching his shoulder. Anders shrugged him off. Karl tried again, touching the top of his head. This time, Anders relaxed and leaned against him.

"I've kissed people before. And done other stuff."

Karl sighed again, running his fingers through Anders' hair. "Why me? If you've others? Others your own age."

Anders turned and looked up at him, amber eyes shining. He smiled, reached up and tugged at Karl's beard. "I like your beard."

-

They started slow, stealing kisses in their stairwell. Anders was enthusiastic, opening his mouth too wide, and Karl was happy to teach him properly. He was patient, soft-spoken, unhurried. The opposite of Anders who only wanted more the more he got.

Karl's back ached sitting on the second top step, Anders straddling him, kissing him. He was tall for his age but still so small, slim hips moving frantically against Karl, making delicious needy noises.

"Karl. Karrrrrrrl," Anders whined.

Karl felt Anders' erection against his stomach. Anders mewled, gripping his shoulders and grinding until he came.

"Oh," Anders whispered, shaking.

-

They needed a place other than the stairs. Once Karl dismissed his class, he held Anders back as if to punish him. He addressed the templar recruit.

"You may go, Cullen. I need to discipline my student and he needs no further embarrassment."

Cullen looked as if he were going to say something, but instead crossed his arms over his chest in a salute and bowed, leaving.

Karl gestured to Anders who followed him to the supply closet. Inside, a feather mattress, cushions and a few blankets.

"For privacy," Karl said.

Anders grinned widely, throwing his arms around him tightly.

-

Karl liked making him squirm. He liked pulling away the fabric of his apprentice robes, trailing kisses down his fair skin. Anders thrashed on the mattress, giggling when Karl rubbed his beard over his sensitive thighs.

"Karl!" he whined. "No fair. Get naked now."

Karl laughed. "Soon enough."

"What are you doing?" Anders lifted himself to his elbows to look.

"Just watch, sweetling."

Karl lowered his head, licking Anders from base to tip, smiling when Anders moaned. His voice still had a tendency to crack, but the words spilling from his mouth in a rush would make a sailor blush.

-

It continued for months until Karl received a note on his pillow.

"Karl,

I love you. But some things are more important than love. I'm leaving the Circle. Just know how much it hurt me to leave you. I'll never forget what you meant to me.

Always yours,

A."

Karl gripped the note and hurried to Irving's chambers. He knocked and opened the door, stopping on the threshold.

"Ah, Karl," Irving said. "Good."

Anders looked up from between two templars, smiling sheepishly.

"Perhaps you can handle the punishment for our errant runaway. Thank you, Ser Cullen. Ser Rylock."

Karl sighed.

-

The door was locked and sound-proofed with magic. Karl hadn't been angry, just worried… and a little hurt.

Anders wiggled, stretched across Karl's broad lap. "Nothing against you. I just don't want to be locked up."

Karl lifted his robes and pulled down the boy's trousers and smalls. Anders tipped his ass in the air expectantly.

"Maker's breath, Anders, what am I going to do with you?"

Anders smiled, looking back at him. "Punish me. After all, you promised the First Enchanter that you would. Don't want to lie to him."

Karl brought his hand down with a sharp thwack.

-

"Anders! Anders, open your eyes, son."

He did. Karl sighed in relief, blinking back tears.

"What happened?" Anders groaned. "I can barely move."

"Nor do you want to," said Wynne.

Karl gathered Anders close, careful not to jostle him. Though most of the damage had been mended, the pain would linger. Anders cried out, face in Karl's chest.

"Stupid boy," Karl whispered, kissing his forehead.

"You fell from sixty feet," Wynne chastised. "Trying to escape."

"Oh," said Anders, as Karl carried him inside.

"You'll stay with me for a few days until you're well."

Anders nodded and closed his eyes.

-

Despite Wynne's magic, Anders required near constant care, Karl watching over him. Anders spent his fifteenth birthday in his lover's bed, recuperating from the fall. Jowan came by to drop off a present. Though Karl stood outside to give them privacy, he could still hear Jowan's nervous tone.

"So you'll be okay?"

"Yes. Karl's taking good care of me."

"Um. What is it with you two?"

"He's my lover."

Karl winced. There would be no more hiding it.

"Oh."

Anders cleared his throat. "Thank you for your gift, Jowan."

Jowan left, giving Karl a backwards, jealous glance as he went.

-

Irving had a gaze that would make you believe mind-reading was possible without blood magic. Karl went straight to him that night once he made sure Anders was asleep, and confessed the relationship. And now he sat, feeling like an apprentice with his hand caught in the proverbial cookie jar opposed to a seasoned enchanter who could lay waste to small armies.

"I know."

Of course he did. "And…?"

"The boy will undergo his Harrowing."

"Already? He's so young!"

"Or you will end the relationship."

Karl massaged his temples, sighing. "Yes, First Enchanter."

"Go tell our friend, then."

Karl went.

-

He paced nervously outside the Harrowing Chamber, ignoring the looks that the two templars there were giving him. Hours had passed since Irving and Greagoir took Anders inside. What would he do if Anders failed? If he fell to temptation? If he turned into an abomination? If the templars had to kill him? He thought about the sweet boy who'd kissed him, the eager child who grew into a capable young man.

The door opened. He looked. Irving had a comforting hand on a shaking Anders. Anders fell forward and Karl caught him, holding tightly.

"Well done, love," Karl whispered.


End file.
